Unfaithful
by WastingWishes
Summary: [AU] After being married for one year, Sasuke had been acting strange around his wife. Perhaps it has got to do with the secret affair he's having behind her back. .SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

_RE-WRITTEN! (27.05.2013)_

**Unfaithful**

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**C**hapter **One**

**Author's Note:** Okay I can explain. I'm going to rewrite this whole series because whenever I look back at it, it makes me cringe. The plot will remain aside from a few changes with things I wasn't too happy with. Characters should be more developed (I hope).

Please review to tell me what you think, maybe you might like (or hate) the new change! :)

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Only the story.  
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* * *

"Darling," called Haruno Sakura. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Uchiha Sasuke took a second too long to reply. "Hold up Sakura, let me reply to this email for a second."

Sakura sighed. "Is it from your boss again?"

"Yeah." replied Sasuke without removing his eyes from the screen.

"Can you take just a second to—"

He massaged his temples, rather annoyed from all the nagging. "Sakura, work is work. I can't afford to abandon things whenever I please."

"I know, I know!" replied Sakura as she wrapped her arms around her husband's tired figure. "But in my defense it _is_ Sunday..."

"What does _Sunday_ have anything to do with it?"

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "This would be the third Sunday now that you've got extra shifts assigned to you by your boss. Can't you ask for a time off, just this day?"

This was starting to irritate Sasuke. "Sakura, I told you that work is work and I can't—"

"Please?" begged his wife. "Just today, spend time with me. We've been so distant with each other lately, I just want us to talk again."

Feeling slightly defeated, the young Uchiha grunted and proceeded to switching off his laptop. Observing this made Sakura a happy woman so she rewarded her dear beloved husband with a kiss.

The long hours of sitting in one position caused his muscles to ache but it did not seem to bother him too much.

"Now what is it that you want to talk about?"

Sakura looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"You've been nagging on and on about talking. So what is it?"

"Um." Sakura blinked. "I didn't mean it literally, I just kind of, I mean...I kind of watched this talk show that said newlyweds should connect more through conversing with each other and stuff."

"Oh god," Sasuke rubbed his tired eyes. "You're not being serious with me right now, are you? I told you _The Ellen Show_ is crap, stop watching that stuff."

"It's not _The Ellen Show_! And it is certainly _not_ crap." defended Sakura. "It's so much better than that economic Wall Road or whatever thing you read every day."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's _Wall Street_ baby, and it is helpful to my job."

"Whatever." Sakura folded her arms defiantly. "We're going out for coffee whether you like it or not."

He gave a defeated sigh. "Fine, go get ready."

* * *

After two hours of waiting, they finally decided on a cafe down the road.

"Hi, we'd like one iced double-espresso and one black coffee, please."

They chose the sofa seats at the corner of the cafe; it was Sakura's favorite place. Her husband arrived with her iced espresso and his own (boring) cup of plain coffee. She always nagged at him to try new things but Sasuke was not too impressed with the sugary selection of caffeine. _It's not coffee_ argued Sasuke once, _why do people like to complicate the simple things in life._

"So," started Sakura after a sip of her beverage, "how has your day been?"

"It was fine." replied Sasuke.

It was quiet for a while and the young Uchiha noticed her disappointment in his short reply.

Sasuke pointed to her iced coffee in an attempt to start a conversation. "Can I try that?"

"Sure..."

It was disgustingly sweet. "Sakura, how do you drink this rubbish?"

She rolled her emerald eyes. "Everything is rubbish to you. Anyways, we haven't done much these past few weeks and I'm getting bored watching re-runs of _ANTM_."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What's _ANTM?"_

"America's Next Top Model."

"...Sakura, don't you do anything else?"

She hits his arm playfully. "Look, I'll start looking for a job sometime soon." Sakura looked down and was tracing the table's surface with her index finger. "I just...I just thought we were still in our honeymoon phase."

Sasuke did not reply, in fact he looked a little distant.

"Honey, I need to make a phone call really quickly." said Sasuke after a sip of his coffee. "Look I'll be back really soon—just, this is important. I'm sorry, I'll be back."

Sakura sighed there was nothing she could say or do to keep her husband's attention so she just shrugged it off.

There was always something that occupied his mind.

* * *

It was night time and Sasuke had gone off to get groceries from the nearby supermarket. The day hadn't gone exactly to plan, Sakura thought, but then what exactly does stick to plan in life anyway? He was unresponsive, distant and not very affectionate.

However, she reasoned, he was Uchiha Sasuke and he had never been _that_ affectionate to begin with.

Refusing to let these thoughts upset her, Sakura decided to call her best friend.

"_Hello?"_ a female voice answered.

Sakura shouted in reply. "INO-PIG!"

"_Aisch,_" Yamanaka Ino rubbed her deafened ear. "_You don't have to shout Forehead, I am perfectly capable of hearing you!"_

"Sorry, sorry. I was just a bit bored and nothing is on TV currently, so what better to do than to annoy the hell out of you?"

"_Charming. Aren't you supposed to be all cuddled up with Sasuke-kun? I mean you're still in your honeymoon, right?"_

Sakura sighed. "Can't. That man is out and about, as usual."

_"Again? That boy still can't stay put, can he? The nerve he has to keep leaving my beloved Forehead alone."_

_"_I know—anyways—I haven't heard much from you. How's work? Gimme some juicy gossip, how is life, did you age gracefully and whatnot?"

"_The last time we spoke was like, yesterday, you fat beluga. And no there is no gossip and no I have definitely not aged. I will forever remain beautiful and immortal, unlike you, you old hag."__  
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"Sometimes I wonder why I've been cursed with a rude best friend."

"_Don't flatter yourself woman, I'm the best thing that has ever happened to you!"_

"Ok well putting all flattery aside, I'm just super bored right now. So bored that I'd probably find entertainment from reading Sasuke's business magazines."

_"Ew, business. Too many numbers and stuff. Why can't he be a normal dude and read porn."_

_"_That's _exactly_ what I said—aside from the porn stuff, because I should be the only woman he sees naked, you get me?

"_I seriously didn't need to hear that."_

_"_Now you have and it will haunt you forever."

"_Why can't our conversations ever be normal?__"_

_"_Oh guess, guess, _guess_ what I got today! You're gonna be _so_ jealous!"

"_Did you get a bunny? I remember the time you'd complain about being petless for days."_

"Um, no. But I totally got myself some vouchers for this aromatherapy spa. I totally deserved it."

"_Oh totally, because watching re-runs of ANTM turned you into a vegetable."_

"Try doing nothing for three weeks, see where that gets you. I rather go hiking, or something. Ok maybe not hiking but _definitely _something less dramatic."

"_Are you kidding me? The last time I forced you to a gym you almost sued me of abusing you to dehydration."_

_"_I was _dying—_you heartless woman!"

"_Pfftt, right. Kids in Africa are _dying_ because they literally have no water, not from walking on a treadmill."__  
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_"_In my defense, that thing was probably broken. And I was running, you pig."

Ino snorted. "_You're too much, Sakura-chan."_ A pause. _"__Anyways I can't stay long to talk—though I'd love to more than anything—I'm expecting a few visitors tonight."_

_"_First it was Sasuke ditching me, now _you._ Tch, fine. I'd call you later then woman."

There was a_ ding_ on the other side of the line. "_Oops, they're here! Alright loser, I'm off now. Love you, Forehead!"_

_"_Love you too pig, bye."

A click and the line went dead.

* * *

With only a bathrobe on, Yamanaka Ino hurried to the door. The apartment was dark and empty except a few scented candles from _Bath and Body Works._ She loved anything aromatherapy related. Today's scent was vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. She read somewhere that the combo was some kind of aphrodisiac or something.

"Hey, you're early tonight." Ino greeted her guest. "Come inside."

The guest rolled his eyes. "I always come at this time, you know me."

She helped her guest to take off his coat.

"New candles tonight?" he asked, eyeing the set of burning candles on her dining table.

Ino giggled. "You know how I am with my candles. In fact, you bought these particular set for me."

"Right, I remember."

She tied her blonde hair into a top knot. "I was on the phone with Sakura-chan earlier."

"Ah okay, how are things?"

"Good," she untied the knot of her bathrobe. "Poor girl, so bored alone at home."

He walked behind Ino and slipped the silky fabric off her shoulder.

"Have you been alone for long?" asked the man.

Her naked figure turned towards him. "Well your presence has sort of cured that loneliness now, hasn't it?"

The man began kissing her neck.

"Good thing I'm here early then. What's that noise?"

"Oops, I almost forgot I got a bath running. Hopefully it hasn't gone cold..." purred Ino as she walked towards her bedroom.

With a grin Sasuke loosened his tie and followed.

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**Author's Note: **Aiiiiiight my munchkins. I know I know, I am the worst of the worse human beings for deleting and re-writing. I mean who the hell does that? But I just can't handle the horrible turn of events, weak characters and just everything is so...under-planned. I am re-writing to develop character relationships and to carve a solid storyline. Everything was just a huge mess, I hated it.

Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter. I really am trying to deliver the best I could to my readers, because I think that's what you guys deserve, _the best._

And if you think I'm just outright insane for making this huge gigantic leap of a decision, then you have every right to criticize me.

_I LOVE YOU, BYE! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Unfaithful**

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_**C**hapter **T**wo_

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**Author's Note: **If you have been following this story for a while you might be confused as to why I'm uploading chapter 2 as opposed to chapter 10. That's because I've decided to re-write the whole story and well, I explained it in my first chapter. Do review and tell me what you think of it and all, okay? And if you haven't read the re-written version of the first chapter, please do so :) Enjoy!

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**Standard Disclaiming Properties Apply**

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Uzumaki Naruto punched his friend's shoulder. "Yo Sasuke."

It didn't hurt but he rubbed the targeted spot anyway, Sasuke replied, "what do you want from me?"

"Where have you _been _teme? Haven't seen you around in a while."

"Been busy." He muttered nonchalantly while occupying himself with several documents.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Busy with what exactly?"

"Life. And, you know, marriage. Something you should probably familiarize yourself with."

He waved his hand in dismissal. "Pfft, marriage schmarriage. No woman is gonna tie a wild animal like me down."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I doubt anyone would try."

"So? How's life as a married man so far? Does she cook you ramen every day like a good wife should? Is she difficult to deal with? Is she an animal in—"

Sasuke interrupted quickly. "Sakura has never been difficult. And our sex life is none of your business."

"Good, because that was a trick question see. You damn well know that if you make her cry, I _will_ royally fuck you up."

"I am more than capable of taking care of my own wife, thank you very much."

"Chill teme, it was only a joke."

"Hn."

Naruto gave a proud smirk, "anyways I've been busy too."

"I don't recall ever asking."

He ignored him. "Do you know that chick, Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Isn't that your boss' cousin?"

"Yeah, I'm sort of banging her."

"I'm guessing he doesn't know this."

"Not _yet_ he doesn't. But knowing what a perfectly handsome gentleman that I am, he probably wouldn't mind. Might even turn to congratulate his cousin on a job well done."

Grabbing another pile of paperwork, Sasuke replied, "or he would kill you, that's a likely possibility."

Naruto snorted. "I'll have you know that I am an excellent employee. It's about time I get some recognition around here and preferably a raise—you know, since I'm running low on cash."

"Maybe if you stop spending every yen splurging on weird flavored ramen, you wouldn't be homeless."

"Oi, I'm not homeless. Just broke. Besides, have you ever tried roasted chicken ramen? It is surprisingly delicious."

"I don't doubt it." replied Sasuke.

After finishing with the paperwork he placed them in a drawer and slammed it shut. Unfortunately, there was yet another pile he had to finish by today. He cursed his work, life and this obnoxious buffoon for giving him a migraine.

"Hey did you hear about Shikamaru?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke interrupted him. "Can I please finish my work without you clogging up my personal space? Thank you."

The boy with the whiskered face leaned against Sasuke's desk. The young Uchiha continued to sort his documents into color-coded files. He sighed knowing full well that not acknowledging this idiot's presence will only encourage him to stay around.

So he turned towards Naruto. "Do you need permission to leave or what?"

"Nope. Actually the reason I came over is to invite you out tonight. Like, a man-date. The guys and I are having a few rounds of sake at Ichiraku, wanna come?"

Sasuke mulled over his plans with Ino. "Can't, busy with other stuff tonight."

Naruto yawned mockingly. "You got so boring now. Man, you used to be—what's that word—oh yeah _untamable_. Like a wild dog in heat, know what I'm sayin'?"

The young Uchiha was not very comfortable with this simile so he decided to ignore it."Okay, can you go now?"

"Whatever, I'm still picking you up at seven tonight—sharp." Which was probably a lie because Naruto was incapable of being punctual.

"Hn. By the way, what about that lazy guy?"

"What?"

"You said something about Shikamaru."

"Oh yeah, this rabbit bit his finger off."

Sasuke pulled a face. "That's gross."

"I know right."

* * *

On the way home, Sasuke decided to get a bouquet of flowers. The question, however, resounded in his head; whom should this be for? To his faithful wife or his seductive mistress? After pondering in thought he reasoned that his wife deserved it best.

He was not complaining or anything of that sort. Sakura was a lovely person and she had done nothing but be spectacular as a wife, but to Sasuke it was not enough. There was a lack of passion which he and Ino shared, an entity that was strictly physical and wild. Being a married man made him feel trapped, like a lion held captive in a zoo. It just was not quite right.

The drive back home was not a long one. Some woman on the radio was singing about trust; he switched it off. There was guilt in his conscience but Sasuke knew better than to acknowledge it. A thought will only become poisonous if you allow yourself to indulge in it. There was a metaphor that said guns can't shoot you if you don't pull the trigger—and guilt was very much like a weapon, it has the ability to destroy you.

"Honey, I'm home." called Sasuke, removing his shoes.

Sakura walked over to greet him in her oversized shirt and booty shorts.

"I bought you something." He extended the gift towards her. "It was on the way home, so I stopped by."

Her face lit up. "_Flowers?_ Oh my god! That's so sweet of you! Here, let me give you a kiss."

He kissed her back.

Sasuke took his jacket off and cupped his wife's face in his hand. Her eyes were sleepy though vividly green, he observed. An aspect of her he'd fallen for during their years of courting. He said, "I was thinking maybe we should do something today."

Sakura blinked. "Like what? I thought you had an extra shift later this evening?"

"I called for time off." He lied. "Let's go watch a movie or something."

"You mean like, the cinema?"

"No, the supermarket. Yes the cinema, Sakura. Where else?"

She scratched her head in confusion. "I mean...the last time we went to the cinema was like, six months ago."

Sasuke eyed her questioningly. "Are you waiting for me to change my mind?"

"No, no, no! Um, have you had lunch yet? There's still some tomato soup in the microwave."

With a yawn he placed his briefcase at the corner and walked towards the dining room. She skipped off to re-heat the cold meal. After a few seconds she reappeared from the kitchen; there was a goofy grin on her face and her hair was in a messy state. He told she looked beautiful and she stuck her tongue out in reply.

"Here you go," Sakura placed the steaming bowl on the table. "Lunch is served. What would you like to drink?"

"Nothing, I'll just have soup. By the way, the idiot invited me over to Ichiraku tonight."

"Who? Naruto? I haven't heard from him in ages. How is he? I kind of missed his annoyingness."

"Yeah, he hasn't changed, unfortunately." He took a mouthful of hot soup and was delighted by the balance of sour and sweetness in his palate. "And he's also dating his boss' cousin."

Sakura laughed and was not at all surprised. "It's about time he got someone to keep him grounded…Do you like it?"

"Why would I like my friend dating his boss' cousin?"

"I meant the soup."

"Yeah, it's delicious."

She gave a victorious smile. "I made it."

"What? Seriously?"

She nodded. "I think I just found my talent. I was searching for recipes online because we had leftover tomatoes in the kitchen, I didn't want them to go bad. And after having triumphed over cuts and burns—_voila!" _Sakura dramatically pointed to the bowl—"My legendary soup!"

He must admit that it was kind of impressive; he married someone who could make killer tomato soup. There has never been a time where Sasuke had gambled butt—if he had, not that he would—he reasoned that this was what hitting the jackpot felt like.

Her husband grinned. "Wow, I'm not sure what's more surprising, you cooking or you being good at it."

She chose to take it as a compliment. "How nice of you my love. So what time will you leave?"

Wiping soup off the corner of his mouth, Sasuke replied, "I'm not sure if I want to go. But the dobe said he's gonna pick me up at seven. It didn't seem like I have a choice."

It was quiet in the dining room as Sasuke finished his lunch. Their house was a simple condo, moderately decorated with walnut furniture, lavender colored walls and framed pictures of their wedding day. The house was not fancy by any means but it was comfortable. According to Sakura, it was probably more than she had bargained for considering only one of them worked to pay rent.

His mobile phone rang.

Sasuke glanced at the caller ID. "Excuse me."

He stepped outside to the balcony and answered. "Hello?"

_"Sasuke-kun, I missed you. It's like four o'clock now and your shift ended like an hour ago. Why haven't you texted me?"_

He did not want to lie. "I was having lunch with Sakura."

"_Right…"_ Ino changed the subject to avoid fighting, _"A few of my girls and I are having a night out and I want to introduce them to you_—_don't worry, none of them are mutual friends of Sakura and I. We'd be safe."_

Sasuke peered inside; his wife was cleaning up the table.

"I'm not sure if that's the wisest thing to do." replied Sasuke.

"_C'mon, it'll be fun. For once I can pretend that you're my boyfriend_—_I'd love to see the look on their faces when they see how handsome you are!__ Unless you prefer meeting me here in an hour, in which case I seriously wouldn't mind." _

He watched as Sakura yawned then plopped herself down on a sofa. The thought of seeing Ino did cross his mind and he pondered over the things they could do. The offer was too tempting to resist. Without doubt he would rather explore Ino's body than sit in the cinema for hours. Reluctantly, however, he had to remind himself that he already made promises to Sakura and to imagine her green eyes swimming in disappointment would kill him.

Sasuke bit his lip and said, _"_Not today, I'm going out to watch a movie with my wife."

There was silence and heavy breathing; she was fuming with rage. Ino was not someone who dealt with rejection very well.

"_Whatever."_ She huffed indignantly. _"You should at least have the decency to call me up and cancel our plans. I don't have the patience to keep waiting for you every night. Do you hear me?"_

Sasuke didn't feel sorry but he apologized anyway. No good outcomes would result from dealing with Ino's temper.

"_I bought new lingerie today to treat you but you can forget about it now. __Tch, I'm going out. Got better things to do in my life."_

The line went dead.

Oblivious to the phone call, Sakura joined him at the balcony. She asked who it was and he replied it was just Naruto confirming their plans for tonight. Without thinking about it further Sakura asked him which movie he would like to watch, her apparent excitement reminded him it was all worth it. He said it doesn't matter; he was tired and would like to take a nap first, preferably with her.

Sakura agreed, they kissed and closed the balcony door behind them.

* * *

"A pretty drink for a pretty lady?" cooed the bartender. Ino flashed a toothy grin and ordered a margarita for herself while her friends opted for a strawberry daiquiri and a martini.

Tenten started the conversation, "So Ino, what happened to your date? Said you wanted to impress us tonight?"

The said blonde rolled her eyes and gulped a huge portion of her drink. "He's being an ass," she took another big sip, "because men are all asses, they just come in different varieties. Like for example, my man is a hot ass—but _still_ an ass, regardless."

"It's weird, how come we've never heard of this man before?" inquired Temari.

"I _have_ talked about him before," slurred Ino as she motioned the bartender for another drink, "I just…haven't introduced him to anyone yet."

"How come? Apparently he's hot, he's charming and has one hell of a respectable job. I'm surprised you haven't suffocated us with pictures of the two of you yet."

Ino mulled over the things that Tenten said and realized that her and Sasuke had never taken a photo together. This, in addition to the alcohol consumption, upset her.

The blonde Yamanaka sighed, "things are just complicated right now, but all is good."

"Where's your guy, Tenten?" Temari challenged.

Said girl rolled her eyes. "Ichiraku with his colleagues. He almost didn't want to go but I sort of forced him to. Man, that guy needs to loosen up a little. Always worked up over little things, tch. Can you believe he works like, twelve hours a day or something like we _hardly_ ever spend time together." Tenten shook her head, remembering the time Hyuuga Neji almost went blind for staring at his computer for too long. The damage somehow altered the color of his eyes, which she found mesmerizing.

"Sounds a lot like Sasuke." Ino added, absentmindedly.

"I'm guessing that's his name," said Temari. "Tell us more about how you guys met and stuff. Don't skip the juicy bits because that's cheating." Temari grinned.

Tenten nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Well…" Ino pondered over the things to tell them; careful not to include the information she didn't want them to know. "We met at a friend's party two years ago. I was really drunk and I don't know what I was thinking, but hell was I tired. So I walked into a room, which was in complete darkness. He walked in completely trashed too and we, uh, hit it off?"

"—don't skip the juicy bits!" scolded Tenten.

Ino continued, "It just felt so right and since then, we never stopped seeing each other. This man is gorgeous. Like impeccably attractive—I'm talking godlike. His body is carved to perfection…ten-pack, biceps, triceps, all the muscles you can think off—but he's still lean, you get me? But he's so modest, only wearing clothes that barely conforms to the contours of his body."

Their eyes widened, "Dang." said her friends in unison.

"…He's also really charming. Not like a prince, more of a silent…I dunno, like a dark magician, I guess. Like whenever he talks to me, it's so enchanting, my insides melt. It's cliché and everything, I know…but this guy—this guy—is a whole new drug to me. I can't have enough of him." Ino shook her head, well aware that this very man was her best friend's husband. "I wish he could be mine forever. I just—I can't imagine him with another woman, it destroys me on a whole new level."

"Girl, that's deep." muttered Tenten.

"Yeah, like dang. I don't even feel that way towards…to be honest, I don't feel that way full stop. Forget I said anything."

"Do you love him?" Tenten blurted out innocently, sipping on her strawberry daiquiri.

The mobile phone twirled around Ino's well manicured hands. "I guess so, I don't know. But I sure as hell can't hate him. Even after all the things he's done." Like, she thought grudgingly, sleeping with his wife.

"So how did he ask you out?"

Ino was taken aback. "Huh?"

"I mean, how did you guys become official? Did he write a letter, was it a date…?"

Ino hesitated to answer. "It sort of…" she started, wondering how to reply, "…happened naturally, I guess."

Tenten yawned. "_Bo-ring."_ She averted her attention to Temari. "What about you Tema-chan, what did you get up to lately?"

Temari finished the last gulp of her martini and refused another round offered by the bartender. "Joined this volleyball club and thinking about getting a perm sometime this week. Oh yeah and I sort of met this guy who got his finger bit off by a rabbit. It's so cool though because he had the most rad bandage ever. It was neon pink and it was just awesome. He told me it was the only thing his mom had at home though so he had to make do."

Ino pulled a face. "Ew, gross. He still lives with his mom? Like what type of loser is he?"

"I know, but he was sort of cute. But it's weird because this guy is _super_ intelligent. I'm talking major IQ. He told me finding a house to live in was just a waste of time and was too _troublesome._" Temari quoted the world "troublesome" with her fingers.

Tenten chirped in. "Hey I think I know who you're talking about! It's that pineapple haired dude, right? He works in the same company as Neji! I've seen him around a few time. Man, that guy is weird."

"Oh yeah," said Temari as if receiving a holy revelation, "so he does. That's right I think he also said he was going to that ramen place with his colleagues tonight. Something about an obnoxious blonde dragging him there at seven."

"What a small world we all live in. Hey Ino, maybe your guy knows our guys too, that would be _so_ uncanny." Tenten mused and lost herself in her favorite song the DJ was playing.

Yamanaka Ino was too intoxicated in her thoughts to enjoy the rest of the night, so she apologized to both of her friends—who insisted she took a cab back home and no way in hell would they allow her to drive— and decided to go home early. Temari helped her friend's stumbling figure out of the busy club, hailed a taxi and paid him twenty bucks in advance.

Ino began dialing a number, it rang, and went straight to voicemail.

_Hello, this is Uchiha Sasuke. I'm not available right now, leave a message. Beep._

"Hey Sasuke-kun, guess what? _I'm_ _drunk_! Wow, what a mess. But anyway, call me back, I'm going home early tonight because my day just sucked. Ha ha ha," Ino wiped a tear off her cheek, realizing how pathetic she sounded, "You're an asshole, do you know that? How dare you marry my best friend and cheat on her with me. How _dare_ you. But life isn't fair, and I suppose we all have to make do, right? I'll be waiting in bed. I left the key under the carpet. Come over, okay? I miss you."

She hung up, wiped the streaming tears off her face, and fell asleep in the car.

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**Author's Note:** I really, really, _really,_ hope that I'm doing a better job than last time. Even if it is a little improvement. I heart you all, don't forget give me your opinion (or criticism, that's fine too)!


	3. Chapter 3

**Unfaithful  
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**C**hap**ter T**hree**  
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3

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**S**tandard **D**isclaiming **P**roperty **A**pplies

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One thing people ought to realize when it comes to motivation is that it is always fleeting. When you grasp it, it slips away through the cracks between your fingers like dry sand. It feels solid at first, as though you have finally found your purpose in this world then, in just a mere blink of an eye, that purpose becomes void, and disappears.

So Sakura, who sat on her dressing table and numbly inspecting her engagement ring, concluded that she was a worthless wife. There was no job in store for her nor were there chores for her to do at home apart from cleaning and the occasional breaking of fragile vases which she clumsily walked into. There were times her best friend Ino would say sardonic, albeit comforting, remarks about the economy being in deep shit with unemployment rates and whatnot but it still did not change the sense of worthlessness Sakura sometimes feel.

Therefore she decided to take a step forward in her life and do something. She slid the dinky ring back on her slender finger, and picked up today's newspaper from the dining table; Sasuke was an avid reader of_ Konoha's Times. _

Flicking through the onion-skin thin monochrome papers, she settled on the PART-TIME JOB section. The list was endless but majority of it was to do with finance, which was never her forte. She decided that a desk job was not for her, it lacked social interaction and experience she preferred.

She gave a sigh and slumped her shoulders forward as if in defeat. There was no hope for her, the medical diploma she had is nothing compared to the PHD required by even the most smallest of clinics these days. Everything needed some kind of job experience, which was exactly what she was looking for. It felt like a chicken-and-egg situation, in order to find a job you need to have in hand some previous job experience. Life just plain out sucks.

Then her eyes rested on what to her, at that particular moment in time, seemed like glinting gold;

.

.

_**PART TIME CHEF ASSISTANT WANTED URGENTLY**_

Three-star restaurant Golden Ebisu, Leaf Avenue.

_Need someone who is interested in learning more of the culinary arts to assist chef._

_Must be flexible all hours, salary is discussable._

_Work will start immediately upon agreement._

_Full training would be provided, some experience in the kitchen needed but is not compulsory._

_._

_._

Sakura grinned so wide like a child who received an early present for Christmas. That purpose appeared back in the palm of her hands, this time it didn't pour like sand but stayed solid and soft like paper.

* * *

"You shouldn't have drank too much."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes and waved Sasuke's remark away. "I just had a few rounds, nothing to be worried about. Besides, my alcohol tolerance is beast."

"Right, I can see that." remarked Sasuke sarcastically as Ino tried to massage her headache away.

"It's just a hangover, Sasuke. Don't have to be a jerk about it."

He ignored her insult because being called a jerk was something he got accustomed to. Thanks to the likes of Naruto and, sometimes, Sakura whenever she was incredibly mad about something he had said. Being a jerk to Sasuke was on the same level as being creative to an artist.

But he knew deep inside that Ino was verging on the alcoholic. Intoxication was a coping method for her. This was not a laughable issue but it was nevertheless so common that it hardly needed pointing out. He regarded her tired, slender figure; the bags under her eyes were dark and heavy and her skin was a ghostly pale that almost looked sickly. Then his eyes trailed down to the naked skin above her chest, the elegant curve of her neck to her slightly protruding collarbone. His desire flickered like a flame.

She noticed the look in his eyes but said nothing. She adjusted the straps of her nightgown and walked towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She decided that as punishment for his bail last night, they would not be playing around for a while.

"Want some?" asked Ino, her blue eyes peeping through the steaming cup as she sipped burning liquid.

His phone rang but he shut it off without checking the caller ID, it was probably Naruto, he thought. Sasuke walked towards Ino, her eyes gazed at him cluelessly, gingerly he took the porcelain cup away from her hands ignoring the scalding temperature and placed it beside her. Effortlessly he pushed her up onto the countertop. Then with his right hand, he slid the lacy material of her dress up her naked leg, his movement deliciously slow, fingers lingering on the flimsy material of her underwear.

"Wait..." muttered Ino through half-mast eyes.

* * *

No luck, Sasuke won't answer his phone and Ino probably lost hers. Sakura grunted in annoyance and scrolled through her contact list, a couple of them were co-workers of Sasuke's whom she met during several different functions, then she lingered on Nara Shikamaru's name.

She remembered the first time she met Shikamaru was in medical school. The young prodigy was the smartest yet laziest bastard she have ever met but he was also a very good listener. When her and Sasuke were not out together, she would sometimes crash Shikamaru's place and play video games together and marvel at his mini dorky inventions. She would always challenge him to recite the newest medical terminology and concepts and he would do it without a blink of an eye. This meant that his extreme IQ undoubtedly rivaled hers. She didn't really mind it though, they were both known to be the smartest medic students in Konoha.

One day however, Shikamaru dropped out without a formal goodbye (Sakura did not consider his '_kay I'm dropping out, we'll chill soon bye'_ text message as formal whatsoever) and it was only three years later that she met him through one of Sasuke's work gala, he explained how bored he got with medicine and how it was beginning to be too troublesome. Since then, with the engagement and all, they had lost touch.

To be honest, she had lost touch with many of her other friends after the engagement, save for Ino, best friends usually stick around for longer.

So in a whim, Sakura decided to reunite with her old pal once more.

* * *

Nara Shikamaru opened the door. "Hey there pinky."

The young man was wearing casual beige slacks, a mint green polo with white stripes, and a pair of cartoon animal slippers. His ponytail was in a wild disarray, like the spikes of a pineapple.

He received a quick punch to his shoulder. "I hate it when you call me that pine-head."

He rolled his eyes. "Wanna come in? Mom is upstairs—"

"_SHIKAMARU, IS THERE SOMEONE AT THE DOOR? OH, IS IT THAT LOVELY GIRLFRIEND OF YOURS AGAIN?" _a woman's voice shouted from the distance.

Shikamaru winced at his mom's new nickname for Sabaku Temari. He shook his head and decided to ignore her, muttering a _troublesome_ under his breath. He stepped aside to allow a giggling Sakura inside.

"Don't mind her...she can be rather, nosy." explained Shikamaru. "By the way, wear these house slippers, she gets really particular about bare feet walking around the house. You know, old lady's superstitions."

"Same ol', same old." mused Sakura.

They walked to the third floor, which Shikamaru had all to himself. There was a small living room in the centre furnished with three bright colored bean bags, a small wooden coffee table and a mini fridge filled with sodas and ice cream. His bedroom included an en suite bathroom, a chalkboard sized interactive virtual simulator (it was called a Smart-Sim-Board according to Shikamaru, he put it together out of boredom) a modest sized mahogany study table with his desktop, a bed adjacent to his small window and a wildly disorganized bookshelf.

"Pretty neat," acknowledged Sakura as she inspected a pair of electronic goggles (a visor, explained Shikamaru) and gloves next to his Smart-Sim-Board. "What are these things?"

"Careful, that stuff breaks like a china doll. I use them sometimes if I want a full gaming experience. Chouji uses them more though."

Sakura proceeded to try the gloves on, they fit snuggly around her hands and she could feel hundreds of miniature suction cups inside. "Woah what the—"

"Motion sensor," Shikamaru explained and motioned to the Smart-Sim-Board. "Move your arm around in a waving motion."

Sakura did not know when he had switched on the interactive board but in the screen was an avatar that looked like a mini, virtual version of Shikamaru. She waved her hand and the avatar mirrored her actions exactly.

"_Oh my—_Nara Shikamaru, what type of genius are you?"

"A bored one, apparently. Anyways I hope you don't mind me asking, it's not like I don't enjoy your company or anything, but where exactly is Sasuke? He doesn't mind that you're over a guy's house by yourself?"

Sakura paused momentarily and sat herself down on the edge of his bed. He noticed the awkwardness his question had caused and attempted to change the subject.

"He's out running errands with his boss or something, he does extra shifts." the girl quickly explained and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's been like this for three months, important project or something. You should know, you work in the same company as him."

Shikamaru only raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? That's funny, his boss has been overseas for the past two months. He only ever emails us once a week to check our progress."

"Huh..." wondered Sakura, obviously confused by this. "Well he does email the guy a bunch, maybe it's a private project or something."

He noted the change of tone in her voice as if she is denying something she is not ready to face. Regardless, he was not one to pry so he offered her a cup of coffee to drink. He remembered what a caffeine freak both him and Sakura used to be. Perhaps it was just a medic student thing.

After a nice hour session of catching up, Sakura decided to talk about personal things. An aspect she had missed the most about her moments with her friend.

Lying on a neon green bean bag, her hair splayed around her head like a pink halo. "Dude things has just been so awkward lately."

"Why?" asked Shikamaru.

Sakura sighed and placed her right arm over her tired eyes. "We just haven't been spending time together, y'know? I mean I try to talk it out to Ino, she's all I have, but she just seems busy all the time. I guess that's what happens when you have a job."

"This might not be the friendliest advice, but maybe you should start talking to other people more."

"I know..." admitted Sakura shamefully. "I guess after Sasuke and I got engaged, things just went downhill. Like the spark isn't there anymore."

"That's insane, you two used to be crazy about each other back then."

"Tell me about it." Sakura did not want to talk about her relationship with Sasuke anymore, her heart felt heavy just thinking about how it used to be before they lived together. "Anyways listen, I'm thinking about applying to this job and I kind of need help with interviews and all. Can you help me?"

Shikamaru's eyes glinted amusingly. "The smart Haruno is asking for _my_ help? It's just an interview. 'Hi, hello, I really want this job, goodbye' is all you need."

She pulled a face as if she had tasted something sour. "Oi, it's not funny. I'm serious Shika. Please. I just..." her eyes gazed away to a distance, "I just really want—need—this job."

The atmosphere was comfortably silent for a second.

Sakura got up from the bean bag, her eyes widened a fraction then it rolled upwards.

"You did _not_ just fall asleep when I asked you a favor. Goddamit Shikamaru!"

* * *

It was 7:00pm when Sakura checked her mobile phone (which has been switched off this entire time) and panicked, she decided that heading back home was the best idea. Shikamaru offered to drop her off.

After her keys unlocked the door, she walked in to a very worried looking Sasuke pacing back and forth in the living room.

"_Sakura, w__here have you been?"_ asked Sasuke angrily. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past three hours. Do you know how worried sick I got?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry my love, the battery ran out and I didn't have a charger-"

"You should have called me! At least let me know when you're going out and where! God, you don't know how worried I got." Sasuke's face flushed red in anger. "I mean I didn't know who to call."

"You didn't call Ino to ask if I may have possibly been with her?" inquired Sakura confusedly. I mean he knew that Ino was her only friend, why would it not be the first person for him to call and ask?

"No I didn't because you couldn't—I mean I," Sasuke cleared his throat and looked away. "Look just, tell me next time okay?"

Sakura noticed that he avoided her question. So she persisted, "Why didn't you call Ino?"

He pretended not to have heard her and seemed to be engrossed with the alabaster statue on their tabletop. "Listen, we should go out for dinner tonight."

It was getting suspicious and his reaction somehow irritated Sakura. "_Why didn't you call Ino to ask her if I was with her?_"

"I lost her number." He lied.

She scrutinized his stoic expression and wondered why his reply seemed off-putting despite its casual reply. Right there in the heart of their modest flat, she knew that something was just not right.

Sakura took a deep breath and eyed Sasuke down. "No, I will not go out to dinner with you tonight, I have better things to do."

Her reply was unexpected and this confused Sasuke momentarily.

"In fact," added Sakura bitterly, "I have other plans tonight. Why don't you go out and do the nightly grocery shopping that somehow takes you two hours to do? I'm going right upstairs with no intention of expecting you in bed tonight. Oh and you know what would be lovely? If you would just _answer my fucking calls!_" screamed a teary-eyed Sakura.

Sasuke realized how upset he had made her and one of his biggest fears came true—

"Oh and by-the-fucking-way, I was over at Shikamaru's to catch up. It was fucking fantastic, I had a lot of fun. A fuck load of fun because no one have properly talked to me _in a fucking long time_." The hysterical girl wiped her damp cheeks, her voice hitched and Sasuke wanted so badly to hold her. But all he could do was freeze in his place.

She combed her pink hair away from her wet face with her fingers and sniffled. "I won't wait for you Sasuke. Not like I used to." And she walked upstairs towards her bedroom, leaving a deafening slam of the door.

—the fear that Sakura would no longer tolerate him.

.

.


End file.
